Competing in the Oppression Olympics attaches something like a moral dimension to oppression, in which the most oppressed are worthier.

People who participate in Oppression Olympics tend to ignore the fact that it's possible for multiple groups to be oppressed, and necessary to address all those problems, without choosing a single group to get all the anti-oppression activism. Oppression Olympics also tends to ignore Intersectionality, except where the existence of multiple degrees of oppression can help an individual participant "win".

Beginning a round of Oppression Olympics is generally seen as Derailment or even as a Silencing tactic, as it attempts to prevent or deflect discussion of one kind of oppression by denying its legitimacy or existence, downplaying its importance, or simply switching the focus to another.

When used in arenas other than oppression, this is sometimes called the "Pain Olympics". See Baby Loss and the Pain Olympics about a similar dynamic in which parents who have had miscarriages are declared to be in less pain than parents who have had children die.